ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2014/2015RAILWAY CHILDREN AFRICA

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1. Message from Railway Children Africa Regional Director 4

2. About Railway Children Africa 6

3. Year 2014/15 in review 9

4. Learning through partnerships 14

5. Groundwork for community level work 16

6. Stories of change 19

7.Accountingforourfinances 22

8. Our team 23

we believe in A world where no child ever has to live on the streets.

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1. Message from Railway Children Africa Regional DirectorDear partners and supporters of Railway Children Africa,

I am delighted to present to you Railway Children Africa’s Annual Report for the year 2014/15.

This has been yet another year of successes for our ambitious programmes that aim to create sustainable support structures for children on the streets of Mwanza in Tanzania and Kitale and Nairobi in Kenya. Once again we’re very proud of our progress this year, achieved through our partnerships with local government structures, NGOs, and other allies both locally and nationally. This year, working in collaboration with our long standingpartnersinMwanza,wehaveestablishedKivuko,ourfirsteverdirect project, focusing on providing street-based services for children and youth and support for families of children at risk of taking to the streets or those reintegrated back home.

ThisisthefirsttimethatRailwayChildrenAfrica(RCA),orindeedRailwayChildren globally, has run a direct implementing project and this gives us the chance to test out whether we can achieve greater impact through this operating model.

I am extremely proud that our impact has been demonstrated over the year through reunifying children with their families, empowering families economically, and working closely with those families to improve relationships, creating a safer environment for all children in the household. We have also continued reaching out to children who have enteredthestreetsassoonaswepossiblycan,makingeveryefforttorescue, rehabilitate and reunify them with their families before they areabused.Wehavemadeatremendouseffortthisyearworkingwithotherallies and partners who are instrumental in advocating for child protection issues. In Nairobi, we are involved in the Street Children and Youth Network(SCYON),whichcompriseslike-mindedorganizationsworkingtosupport children living and working on the streets. Through this network we areabletoadvocateandlobbyforissuesaffectingchildrenonthestreetsand push for policies that promote the wellbeing of both children on the streets and vulnerable families. In Kitale our partner Child Rescue Kenya is an active member of the TRANSCEN-Trans Nzoia Children Network and work closely with the local administration. Such partnerships strengthen our presence, helping all of us to have greater impact on the children who need us most.

2014/15 has also been a year of recognition for our work. We received two visits to our Tanzania program from Louisa Brewin, Lead on UK Aid Direct, Global Poverty Action Fund and Civil Society Challenge Fund at Department for International Development, and a visit from Grant Shapps, UK Minister of State at the Department of International Development. Such visits are asourceofprideforusall,andhelptoraiseourprofileandincreaseknowledge of and support for our work.

WehaveputagreateffortintobuildingourcommunityworkinMwanza,tochange attitudes and perceptions about children on the streets. To this end, we have conducted a stakeholder analysis of children on the streets’ experiences of risk, harassment and support. Forming a picture of this is essential in designing and building initiatives at the community level to create safer environments for children.

AnotherkeyhighlightofthisyearisthecombinedeffortofRCAanditspartners in conducting research studies in Mwanza, Tanzania, as well as Nairobi, Kenya. Our annual Mwanza headcount reports and our Social Return on Investment study of the Family Work in Nairobi are both available on our website.

Finally, the most notable success of year 2014/2015 is the continued combinedeffortofthetirelessandpioneeringworkofourdedicatedstaff,our donors who have made this impact possible, and our partners who share our approach and values. Together, these people have made a fundamental differencetothelivesofourbeneficiaries.Iwouldliketoexpressmygratitude to everyone involved, helping us to get one step closer to our vision of a world where no child ever has to live on the streets.

Pete Kent

Railway Children Africa Regional Director

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2. About Railway Children RailwayChildrenisaleadingchildren’scharityfightingforvulnerablechildrenwholivealoneatriskonthestreets,wheretheysufferabuseandexploitation. In the UK, society often denies their existence, and in other countries the problem is so prevalent that it has become ‘normal’.

Children and young people run away or are forced to leave home where they sufferpoverty,violence,abuseandneglect.Theyfindthemselveslivingonthe streets because there is nowhere else to go and no-one left to turn to. The problems they face on the streets are often even worse than those they enduredathome.Everydaywefighttochangetheirstory.

Railway Children race to reach children as soon as they arrive on the streets and intervene before an abuser can. Our pioneering work in the UK, India and East Africa enables us to get to street children before the streets get to them.

Railway Children AfricaRCAworksinfivelocationsinEastAfrica,namelyMoshi,ArushaandMwanzain Tanzania and Nairobi and Kitale in Kenya. Children alone on the streets in these cities are frequently regarded by society as a nuisance that must be tolerated – a ‘problem’ rather than vulnerable children who desperately needhelpandsupport.Thefindingsofour2014HeadcountReportrevealedthat there are at least 380 children living on the streets of Mwanza, 118 of whom are below the age of 14. Recognizing that for sustained change we need to reach these children before the streets get to them and then continue to support them, we have tailored our programmes to respond to the needs of children and their families at street level, community level and government level.

We work at three LEVELS to ensure long-term change:

Street levelWe meet the immediate needs of children on the streets. In Arusha, Moshi, Mwanza,NairobiandKitaleouroutreachworkersgoouttofindvulnerablechildren before an abuser can. We provide food, shelter, safety and support while we try to reunite them with their families. If it isn’t possible for achildtoreturntotheirfamily,weworktirelesslytofindthemlong-termsolutions.

Community levelWe change the perceptions of local communities. We make children on the streets visible to their communities and assist in understanding of how they came to be there and what they need, to prevent them from being ignored, condemned or passed by.

Government levelWe use our research, expertise and strong relationships with key individualsanddepartmentstoinfluencepolicymakersandleveragegovernment support for children living on the streets. We hold governments accountable to provide children with protection as a basic right.

there are at least 380

children living on the

streets of Mwanza

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3. 2014/2015 in ReviewIn our East Africa programme, we have a number of activities to provide support for the children on the streets and their families. These activities include:

Street workOutreach workers go out on the street to identify new children early on, before they meet someone who will abuse them. Once the children are identified,theyarereferredtoservicessuchastemporarysheltersthatprovide safe accommodation and meet their basic needs of food, clothes and shelter. They are provided with medical support if they need it, and introduced to an informal education class and other recreational activity routines. Children build relationships with social workers and receive emotional support here too.

Youth workWe work with street youth through a model called the Youth Association Model. Through this initiative, street-involved young people help younger children on the streets, identifying them and referring them to services in our programmes. The programme takes street youth, often involved in gangs, through a process that supports them to turn their gangs into self-sufficientandfunctionalassociationswheremembersarerehabilitatedinto productive members of society. As of 2014/15, in all targeted cities of East Africa, we have approximately 1480 young people as members of 72 associations in Nairobi, Kitale and Mwanza.

Temporary and long-term sheltersAmong the partners we work with and support in both Kenya and Tanzania are several temporary and long-term shelters. The temporary shelters generally accommodate children for between 3 and 6 months, during which time they are provided with education and counselling. Social workers work with their families to ensure that children are being safely returned home to a healthy and supportive environment. The children who can’t be returned home are referred to long-term shelters where they are provided with education by being enrolled into schools, and where they attend counselling sessions and get involved in recreational activities.

ReunificationReunifying children to their families is a key part of our work. When the socialworkersaresatisfiedthatthechildrenarereadytogohomeandthatthe family setting is safe and supportive, children are returned to their families. Once at home, they are enrolled into school and they are their siblings are provided with education. If needed, the family is provided with economic empowerment opportunities, such as small business grants and skills training. For families with access to land and who are willing to farm, we provide bio-intensive agriculture training.

Community programmeThis is an essential part of our work, as it serves to prevent children coming to the streets. We work with families where children are at risk of going to the streets because of poverty, poor relationships and lack of educational opportunities. Relational support is provided to these families alongside economic empowerment, bio-intensive agriculture skills and educational support where needed.

72 youthassociations

now have1480 members

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Tanzania

Our significant achievements this year

267Children and youth contacted/supported on the streets

124Children reunified with families

368Youth association members

18Youth association groups K

ENYA

351New - Children and youth contacted/supported on the streets

254Children reunified with families

1112Youth association members

54Youth association groups

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Key research studies

RCA conducted two quantitative research studies in Mwanza, Tanzania this year: the Headcount survey and the Ghetto Count survey.WealsoconductedaSocialReturnonInvestment(SROI)evaluation in Nairobi, Kenya. These various studies create evidence which in turn informs RCA’s programme development, since through such research we can understand how to best meet the needs of children on the streets. These studies were conducted in collaboration with our implementing partners, COET,UpendoDaima,Kivuko(RailwayChildren’sproject)inMwanza and Undugu Society Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya.

Headcount survey:In December 2014, we carried out a third consecutive annual headcount to ascertain the number of children and youths on thestreets.Thisexerciseinvolvedcoordinating30staffandyouth in counting children during the day and at night. A total number of 1,548 children and youth were counted on the streets during the day, mainly working, and 1,314 of these were under theageof18(396femalesand918males).380childrenandyouth were counted sleeping on the streets during the night, and118ofthesewerebelowtheagetheageof14(25femalesand 93 males.

Ghetto count survey:This was carried out in April 2014, to assess street involved children and youth in Mwanza who reside in ghettos, camps and guesthouses and to validate the assumption that because they were sleeping in such places a number of girls who were street connectedwerenotvisibletoaheadcountsurvey.Keyfindingsfrom the survey revealed that a total number of 370 girls were living in these places with almost 50% of them under the age of 18. Furthermore, 590 boys were also found to be living in camps, ghettos or guesthouses with almost 30% being under the age of 18.

Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation: RCA conducted this evaluation in March 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya, to understand the impact and achievements of the intensive family work pilot project. The SROI approach seeks to identify which project outcomes create the most value in the lives of a project’s key stakeholders. Through this method we are able to calculate the project’s value for money by articulating the social, economic and environmental values created by the project, as expressed by children, families and others. The SROI evaluation revealed that Railway Children’s investment into the intensive family work pilot project shows a substantialinfluencetohouseholdwelfareandtheimprovementof relationships for the 12 families in Nairobi, Kenya. After accounting for changes experienced by both caregivers and their children, the impact of Railway Children’s investment shows a significantratioof5.13Kenyanshillings(KES)ofsocialvalueachieved for each 1.00 KES invested.

To read any of the above reports in full, please go to www.railwaychildren.org.uk/research.

Each 1.00 Kenyan shilling (KES)invested showed a social return on investmentof 5.13 KES

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4. Learning through partnershipsOur partners are the lifeblood of our work. In addition to delivering work ourselves through the Kivuko project, we workwithtwopartnersinMwanza(COETandUpendoDaima)andtwopartnersinKenya(UnduguSocietyKenyainNairobiandChildRescueKenyainKitale).Alongwithfunding,weprovidetechnical support to build the capacity of our partners in deliveringthework.AcoordinatedeffortbetweenRCAandourimplementing partners has always been an essential ingredientinmeetingbeneficiaries’needs.

Thisyear,ourpartnerstaffinNairobi,KitaleandMwanzahavebeen involved in exchange trips between the three cities, to learn from each other and exchange ideas and challenges on howdifferentpartnersimplementtheirprojects.Familysocialworkers from our Mwanza and Kitale partners went to Nairobi to learn about how they implement family work by using therapeutic approaches, which Mwanza partners are also looking to pilot. The NairobiteamfromUnduguSocietyKenya(USK)wenttoMwanzatolearn how the youth work is implemented and to impart skills, knowledge and tactics concerning USK’s youth association model which has been adopted by Mwanza team. Similarly, the Tanzania partners went to Kitale to learn about the basic skills in bio-intensive agriculture.

We partner with JUCONI, an organization based in Mexico that shares its expertise with organizations and programmes working with children on the streets and their families. JUCONI has been a long-term partner of RCA and has been providing Tanzania and Kenya teams with training on therapeutic approaches in working with children and families in both countries. This year, like last year, Juconi’s Director, Alison Lane, went to Kitale to conduct family training with our partner Child Rescue Kenya(CRK),aswellasconductingsimilartrainingwithourpartners in Mwanza, Tanzania. Alison Lane was invaluable to RCA for a number of years before she passed on in July this year. RCA would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge her contribution to our work in East Africa. We are grateful to have knownherandherlegacy,instilledinourstaff,willcontinuein our work.

RCA also collaborated with Harambee Arts of Kenya, an organization which seeks to partner with African grassroots programs to train local caregivers to provide art programmes for vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and enthusiasm. For this reason, RCA reached out to Harambee arts to provide art therapy training to Kenya andTanzaniapartnerstaff.Throughthistrainingthestaffweretaught how to engage the children and their families and how to promote the well-being of street involved children, enhance the stability of their families and support systems, and develop their sense of self-worth and positive personal ethics.

Increasing family stability and

promoting well-being14

suchasbusstandleaders,GenderandChildrenDesk(DAWATI)andcommunitymembers. In particular RCA hopes to engage with those who have businesses or are frequently found at the bus stands, such as police, guards, youth on the streets, business owners and workers, food vendors, children on the streets, and taxi and bus drivers.

Initial meetings have been held with bus stand leaders, Social Welfare departmentofficialsandtheidentifiedstakeholdersatthetwobusstandstodiscuss the engagement strategy and gain their input on how to best engage thecommunitytocreatesaferstreets.RCAwillofficiallylaunchthisinitiativeandrolloutplannedactivitiesincollaborationwithdifferentpartners during the coming year of 2015/16.

5. Ground work for community level workRCA’s community level work helps communities to change their perceptions and understand the reasons why children came to be on the street and the challenges they face there. To this end, RCA has been conducting a stakeholder analysis as initial groundwork to gain more information.

Stakeholder analysis in a nutshellThe stakeholder analysis aims to provide an insight of children’s lives on the streets, their experiences of support and the risks they must deal with.

The main objectives of the stakeholder analysis were to:

•Develop a baseline of the children’s experiences on the streets to measure experiences of risks, harassment, and support.•Develop a baseline of community attitudes and awareness of children in the streets.

Thestakeholders,asidentifiedintheresearchreport,includefamilymembers, police, security guards, youth on the streets, hospital workers, business owners and workers, food vendors, children on the streets, project workers who reach out to children, and taxi drivers

Key findings from the analysisThe research revealed that 100% of the children on the streets, both boys and girls, have experienced some kind of abuse and harassment while on the streets. The research also found that 46% of children never had someone who stood up for them on the streets.

The youths were found to be the main source of negative experiences for children, but at the same time remained key stakeholders who provided support. 64% of children had been verbally abused by youths on the street, 59% of physical abuse witnessed was by youths on the streets, and 43% had been afraid youth would abuse them. The second most frequent stakeholder contributing to risk were children on the streets – their friends, their fellows, and their companions, whilst on the streets. Lastly, in terms of thechildren’sprofileandcharacter,72%ofstakeholdersassociatedthemwith ‘bad’ behaviours such as stealing, using drugs, teasing, begging, and being untrustworthy. Within these perspectives stakeholders emphasised how the community saw the children as ‘un-human’ and without value to the wider community. The children could be used for the communities’ gains, could be excluded and neglected, and could be treated unfairly.

Building up community level work: Engaging communitiesRealising the need to engage communities to create safer environments for children on the streets, and as part of RCA’s crucial role of reaching the street connected children before the abuser can, RCA is looking to develop a “bus stand” initiative at two major bus stands in Mwanza city, sited at Buzuruga and Nyegezi. The aim of this initiative is to improve our ability to reach children sooner, and create safer cities and communities particularlyforthechildren.Forthetwoidentifiedbusstands,RCAwilllooktoengageandpartnerwithdifferentstakeholders,governmentofficials

100% of children on the streets have

experienced abuse and harrassment

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6. Stories of ChangeLucas’s Story

Lucas, 13, had been living in the streets of Mwanza for three years before Kivuko outreach workers met him in 2014. Both his parents had passed away and he had lived with his grandmotherbeforefleeingtothestreets.Hisgrandmother didn’t want him back home because, according to her, Lucas was a thief and no-one in the neighbourhood wanted him around.

The social workers started to get to know Lucas and began to build a relationship with him and his family. He had already been returned homebythreedifferentorganizationswhohadintervened in his life to try and help him. Lucas told the social workers that he would like to return to his grandmother’s house if she would accept him back. After months of tirelesseffortbythesocialworkerstoworkwith Lucas and his family and provide some counsellingsessions,hewasfinallyreturnedback to his grandmother’s home.

Since he was reunited with his grandmother and returned to her home, Lucas’s life has improved. He goes to school, and has done well in standard four primary school examinations andmovedontostandardfive,andiscontinuingto do well in school and at home. His grandmother says he is a good child and thanks the social workers for all their persistence in working with their family and Lucas until he was returned home.

Lucas is no longer misunderstood, he considers himself as part of the community, and his grandmother is very proud.

Luca

s

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Neema’s story

Neema, 13, ran away to the streets when she was 12 years old. The social worker from one of our implementing partners, Child Rescue Kenya (CRK)metherthenandattemptedtorescueherto a temporary shelter but she wouldn’t accept. Neema then met and joined older street girls who convinced her to stay with them.

She would go home for a while, and then come back to join her friends whenever she wanted. The social worker kept following up on her in anefforttocounselherandrescuehertoatemporary shelter and after several sessions shefinallyacceptedthehelp.Whileattheshelter Neema was very quiet and barely talked about her home. After several counseling sessions Neema revealed that she did not want to go home for good because her father used to abuse her sexually and had threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

After a number of home visits to both of Neema’s parents, the social workers found out that her parents had separated and had both remarried and the children had stayed with their father. No-one at home knew why Neema had left home and come back without her father questioning her, and neither Neema’s stepmother nor her biological mother would either interveneorfindouttheproblem.

After several discussions with Neema’s mother and stepmother, it was agreed that the best place for Neema to stay was with her mother, whose new husband had died. Neema was then reunifiedbackhometohermotherandenrolledback to school. Her mother was also supported to expand her business so she can better take care of Neema.

Neema is a cheerful girl now, attends school regularly and has greatly improved in self-esteem. Teachers talk well of her and are willing to support her so she can perform well in class. She says “I would like to be a teacher when I grow up!”.

NEE

MA

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7. Accounting for our financesFINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2015 2014 TZS’000 TZS’000Income: Grants 1,145,638 900,392Other Grants & Income 162,524 127,732

Total Income 1,308,162 1,028,124 Expenditure: Programme Activities Reintegration & Family Work 308,654 309,406Street & outreach Work 97,700 106,590Youth work 184,725 131,245Shelter 60,961 119,182Support Costs Programme Personnel Costs 176,316 146,946Finance & Admin 129,800 77,525Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning 38,937 39,241

Total Expenditure 997,094 930,135

Surplus/(deficit) for the year 311,068 97,989 Railway Children Africa is not entitled to account restricted receipts as income until such time as the grant conditions have been met, i.e. the funds have been expended. The funds not expended above as surplus representsdeferredincomeandarecarriedforwardtothenextfinancialyear.

8. Our teamPete Kent Railway Children Africa Regional Director

Anna Thor Head of Programmes, Tanzania

Mgewa JosephFinance Manager, Tanzania

Mary GatamaProgrammeDevelopmentOfficer,Kenya

Gemma ToddProgrammeDevelopmentOfficer,Tanzania

Imma KapingaCommunicationsOfficer,Tanzania

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Railway Children AfricaPlot No 5, Block C, Nera Street,P.O. Box 138, Mwanza, TanzaniaCertificateofIncorporation:77698

www.railwaychidlren.org.uk

Registered charity number 1058991